


The Confession of a Lifetime

by EmeraldViolets



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 13:00:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20892503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldViolets/pseuds/EmeraldViolets
Summary: Post time skip scene of Sylvain battling with his feelings for Byleth and Dimitri giving him the nudge he needs to go after her.





	The Confession of a Lifetime

**Author's Note:**

> This is entry number 3 in my Fictober challenge. I had to use "Now? Now you listen to me." as a prompt. Be on the lookout for my other Fictober writings!

Sylvain let out a sigh as he twirled a spoon around in his bowl of soup. He did this mindlessly as his brown eyes were trained on Byleth as she spoke animatedly to Ingrid and Annette. His eyes roamed over her form, but in a very different way than they used to five years ago. It was true that her looks were what had drawn him to her in the first place, but after getting to know her, confiding in her, Sylvain knew his feelings for her were greater than anything he’d experienced before. Because of this, he had no idea what to do about it.  
“Something on your mind?” a familiar voice came from his other side. Turning around Sylvain saw his prince and childhood friend, Dimitri, taking the seat next to him.  
It had only been a short time since Rodrigue’s death and the return of the old Dimitri, but nevertheless even with his long shaggy blonde hair and missing eye, Sylvain saw the true, honorable man that he was, and was simply glad that his friend was beginning to see it as well..  
“No, not really,” Sylvain replied, though his eyes shifted back to Byleth. After a moment of putting two and two together, Dimitri let out a soft chuckle.  
“Ah I see,” he said in an amused tone. “Struggling with your feelings for our dear professor?”  
Sylvain shot his friend a look, ready to deny everything, but paused when he saw the sincerity in Dimitri's gaze. It would do him no good to deny his feelings for Byleth anymore.  
“I care for her, a lot,” Sylvain admitted with a sigh. “But with everything going on, she’s got enough on her plate. I shouldn’t bother her with this.”  
Dimitri studied his friend, taking in his words. Unbeknownst to Sylvain, Dimitri had also seen a major change in him over the past five years. He still remembered when the red-head was just a flirtatious skirt-chaser avoiding all his responsibilities. Now he saw a matured man who was far more in tune with his emotions and coming to terms with his own intelligence and strength. Dimitrii could always see how smart and talented his friend was, the one problem was that Sylvain never acknowledged it himself. Whether he was afraid of disappointment or just expectations in general, he always found it easier to simply avoid it all together. However, Sylvain wasn’t like that anymore thanks to his own growth and Byleth who helped to bring it out in him.  
Dimitri had seen the interactions between the pair and to him their feelings for one another were plain as day. If only Sylvain could see that.  
“You should talk to her, tell her how you feel,” Dimitri said.  
Sylvain gave a sideways glance toward Dimitri before turning his attention back to his now-cold soup.  
“I shouldn’t, besides you were the one who told me I should stop bothering women with my romantics,” he replied.  
Dimitri let out a huff. “Now? Now you listen to me,” he said with an amused tone. “I gave you that advice five years ago, it doesn’t apply anymore.”  
Sylvain knew Dimitri’s words to be true, but he was fishing for any excuse not to tell Byleth the truth. He was scared; scared of rejection, scared of losing her, and scared of complicating things. Five years ago, he wouldn’t have even hesitated to tell a girl he was in love with her, even if it was a lie. Where had all his youthful confidence gone?  
Dimitri could see his friend mulling over everything in his mind. No matter what age he was, Sylvain’s eyes always gave away his true feelings.  
“I’ve seen the way she looks at you,” Dimitri said softly. “I think you’ll be surprised by her response to your confession.”  
And with that, Dimitri gave his friend a comforting pat on the shoulder before standing up and walking away. Sylvain turned his head to watch him go, letting his words sink in. Was he telling the truth? Could Byleth really love him back?  
Sylvain didn’t believe that Dimitri would lie to him, but even so he still couldn’t be sure. All that he did know was that if there was a chance that she did actually return his feelings, he couldn’t let that slip through his fingers. He had to tell her.  
Pushing his bowl away and standing up, Sylvain took a deep breath before walking over to where Byleth was. He approached her slowly, waiting for a pause in her conversation before speaking.  
“Could I speak to you for a moment?” he asked when he finally came to her side. “In private.”  
Byleth smiled at him, giving a nod, “Of course.”  
Sylvain missed the knowing smiles from Ingrid and Annette who bid them both a goodbye before turning into their own conversation, but not before watching the couple saunter away.  
The two walked side by side to the courtyard, silence sweeping over them. Byleth was the first to break it.  
“Is everything alright, Sylvain?” she asked concerned. “You’re awfully quiet, that's not like you.”  
Sylvain gave her a slight smile, his head buzzing with mixed emotions. Was now really the right time to do this? His smile faded at his confliction, and Byleth’s eyebrows furrowed in worry. She could clearly see his inner turmoil. She grabbed his arm lightly to stop him from walking and looked into his eyes.  
‘What’s wrong?” she asked.  
Sylvain shook his head, “Nothing’s wrong, I just..”  
He trailed off, trying to find the right words. He glanced about, noticing that they had stopped near a few of the monastery's rose bushes, where they had frequently come for tea together. Looking back and meeting Byleth’s eyes, he knew in that moment he couldn’t hold his feelings in any longer.  
“Before I met you I was content with being nothing. In fact I wanted to be nothing. I didn’t want my crest, my title, any responsibilities,” he said. “I thought it was because I couldn’t live up to people's expectations, but I see now that I was actually just afraid, afraid that I actually could live up to those expectations and what that would mean.”  
Sylvain reached forward to grasp Byleth’s hands in his own.   
“But I don't want to hold back anymore. I want to be what I know I can be. I want to help and assist anyone I can. I want to be there for Fodlan, everyone here, and especially you,” he said.  
Byleth smiled widely at him, giving his hands a squeeze.  
“You’re so strong,” she said admiringly.  
Sylvain chuckled and shook his head, “It only took me my whole life.”  
“No,” Byleth said. “You’ve always been that way.”  
Sylvain glanced up again to meet her eyes, seeing their blue forms look back at him with such emotion and fondness. He could feel his heart begin to speed up. It was as if they were the only two people in the world, and Sylvain would have been fine if that were true. She had awoken something in him that he never knew was there.   
“I care for you so much,” he started, leaning in to her.  
“Sylvain…” Byleth purred, her voice barely above a whisper.  
Finally, he closed the gap between them, letting his lips capture hers as their bodies melded together. He kissed her passionately as though she could disappear from his grasp at any second, and she returned the favor. Out of all the girls he had kissed, this still felt like the first time for Sylvain. He knew for sure that this was the only one that actually meant something, and now that he’d had it, he never wanted to let it go.  
Breaking apart, he let his forehead rest against hers, cupping her cheeks within his palms.  
“I love you,” he whispered to her, his words feeling as light as air and as sweet as sugar. Sylvain felt the corners of Byleth’s lips turn up into a smile within his hands.  
“I love you too,” she said back before embracing him completely. An embrace that would surely last a lifetime.


End file.
